Eletrical fitting.



F. TRESSELT.

ELECTRICAL FITTING. APPLlcATlN FILED 1uNE22. 1911.

,Patented Jan.v 14, 1919.v

2 SHEETS-SHEETI 65m' 5, ogm

F. TRESSELT.

ELECTRICAL FITTING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, I9-l1. 1,291,268. Patented Jan.14,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED s'mfrns PATENT orario. f

FRITZ rRnssELT, or PAssAIc PARK, New JERSEY, AssIeNoR 'ro v. v. rIT'TInGs corr- PANY, or PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or rENNsYLvaNIA.

ELECTRICAL FITTING.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pagngd Jan., 14, QQL

Application filed .Tune 22, 1917. Serial No. 176,387.

' larly adapted for the reception and convenient connection of main and branch Wires, the device including a base member having terminals of novel form, especially constructed not only for the attachment of the wires belonging to a plurality of circuits but also for cooperation with holding means for retaining the cap or cover of said base member.

Another object of the invention is to provide an outlet fixture with terminals of relatively simple and substantial form constructed to serve both as structures to which a cap or cover may be held and also as portions of an electrical circuit.

I also desire to provide an outlet fitting of the above noted type with novel means for conducting current from linepterminals in the base member to other termina-ls in a cap or cover member, as well as -to one' or more branch circuits; the arrangement of parts being such as .to avoid the necessityfor soldered joints.

It is further desired to provide yan outlet fitting including a cover member together with the necessary terminals for the connection of a plurality of branch circuits f in said member, the construction being such that the fitting may have connected into it the two wires of a main circuit, the conductors leading through a cover to one or more local circuits and other pairs of condnctors` belonging to one or more branch circuits. y These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to *the accompanying drawings, lin which, v

Figure l is a side elevation of a fitting constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the fitting shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2; I` Figs. 4 and 5 are a plan and an inverted plan of the base and cap sections respectively;

, cesses in lthe base.

Fig. 6 is a detached perspective of certain of the metallic structures forming part of the fitting;

Fig. 7 is aside elevation showing a tting having the same base but a. cap different from that of the fitting shownin Fig. 1;' Fig. 8 is a central vertical section of thedevice shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section similar tovFig. 8, showing the fittingas provided with modified form of cap; l

Figs. 10 and 11 are inverted plans of the cap sections illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 respectively; j

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary section on the line 12-12, Fig. 4;

Figs. 13 and 14 area plan andan inverted plan, respectively illustrating another form of 4cover member, and

Fig. 15 isa fragmentary vertical section illustrating the use of that form of` theinvention shown in Figs. 13 and 14. l

In the above drawings, 1 represents the body of the base section of mv im roved cut-out box fitting which consists of an annular structure ofinsulating material such as a porcelain casting,having 'twosubstan-n tially semi-annular recesses or depressions 2 and 3, whose adjacent ends are separated from each other by radially extending partitions 4 'and' 5. Passages 6 and 7 for holding screws or similar'devices are formed through |the body 1 at the outer parts of the two partitions respectively and on the ledge or bottom of the .two recesses 2 and 3 yare mounted a pair of elongated segmental terminals 8 and 9 respectively, rigidly held in place by screws 10, which, as shown in Fig. 12, project -into them from suitable re- In the present instance each of the terminals has at its central portion a downwardly flanged and preferably countersunk opening' 11 threaded for the reception of screws and formed immediately over cavities 12 in the body 1 whose lower ends are preferably though not necessarily closed as shown in Fig. 2. Each of the1 terminals has a plurality of pairs of binding screws 13 and in between the screws of each pair I provide a tongue or lug- 14 projecting upwardly from the inner edge ofthe segment.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, I have shown one described base section and this consists of as insulated body 15 Lwhose bottom portion is cylindrical and of the same diameter as that of the body l of the base section. 4rlFhe bottom 5 face of this structure is provided with a circular groove for-'the reception of a rubber our other suitable packing ring 16 which -may ber of circular section and of such thickness as to project beyond the plane of the bottom face of the cap section.

The body of the cap section -includes a hollow cylindrical projecting portion constituting a socket or receptacle in which is l mounted a threaded socket shell 17 for the reception of a lamp, attachment plug, etc., and it is noted that the inner end of the shell has inwardly projecting Jflat p0rtions 18. y i

rlhe inner face of the cap body 15 has a semi-circular recess 19 in which is mounted a semi-circular metal plate 20 having a downwardly projecting extension 21 at right angles to its plane.v N'lhe extremity of'this extension is turned outwardly so as to lie 25 parallel to the plane of the part 20 and it is preferably formed with a conical projection l22. TA clamping plate or semi-circular Washer 23 is `mounted in the -recess 19 over vthe contact plateV 20 vand at its extremities has two threaded openings 2l lor the recep i tion or'y screws `25 which pass through the parts 18 of the threaded shell, through suitable passages in the body ol the cap'l, through openings 26 inthe contact plate 20 and into engagement with the threads ot the openings 241 in the clamping plate 23.

lllhe shell 17 and .the contact plate 20 are thus rigidly connected to the 'cap section as wellr as electrically 'connected with each other, 40 and the recess 19 aswell as other screw receiving recesses oit the device are preferably K illed with somel form of 'fusible insulating compound 27, as'shown in yFig. 8, so as to completely cover and inclose the contact 1 5 plate 20 and clamping plate 28.

The under tace oli thelcap section 15 is provided with asecond and radially extending. recess 28 in which is mounted one end of a contact strip 29 having a free end portion 30 and an intermediatepart '81. 'lhis contacty strip is held in place in said recess 28 by a clamping plate 32 and a screw 83 threaded into the latter so as to extend cen- Itrally of the shell receiving recess ol the cap .55 section, at the bottom of which its head passes through and is rin electrical connection with the center spring contact 841 constituting the second clamp or'plug terminal of the cap. rlhis contact terminal is of to the well known form and by means of said screw is electrically connected to the contact plate29. The-,outer end outer-.end 350i the extension 21 of the con.- co tact plate 20, is provided with a conical struction shown in lFigs.v 7, 8 and 10.

so ler this meer, iik@ the projection 36 and lies at substantially the same distance beyond or outside of the plane ,of the bottom face of the cap section. Moreover it extends'opposite to the end 35, and

like it being moreor. less resiliently supported by the structure of which it forms a part.

The proportions and mountings of l the various parts are such that when the cap section 15 is placed over the base section of the fitting, the conical projections of the plates 35 and 30 of the contact members 20 and 29 respectively enter or lie within the counter-sunkk openings of the terminals 8 and 9 of said base section so as to electrically connect therewith, and said base andk cap sections are held together by bolts or screws 88, whereby the fitting would be connected to or mounted upon an' outlet or other l device or structure.

Electrical connection would then beestablished on the one hand, from the.4 terminal 8 through the contact plate 20`and screws 25 to the threaded shell 17, and on the other hand fromthe 'terminal 9 through the contact strip 29 and screw 33 to the central Contact 84 ;-moisture or other objectionable materials beingkept out onta 'theinterior of the ittin g in the well understood manner by the Apacking ring 16. @ne advantage of the 1 above construction resides in the `fact that the main and branch wires may be connected to certain of the binding screws on the ter.- minal plates 8 and 9- respectively andra number of branchV connections, in the present case three, may be made to each of said terminals g-it being noted that, the central s opening or" the base ,f section is'. relatively large in order to permitof the tree entrance orpassage through it of a number ol' insu-1 lated conductors. ln addition a local circuit or circuits may be made through the cap By reason oit the construction ci the base section 1, it is possible to apply or to employ in yconnection with it, cap on cover sections other than that shown in lili-gs. 1 to 5 incl'usive, and `for example ll may utilize the conln these figures, 50 represents a idattened cylindricalY cover section illustrated as of a diameter less than that of the base section to which it is detachably held by screws 51 mounted in recesses 52 and threaded into the holes 11 ol the terminal plates 8 and 9 of said base section. ln this case the screws are utilized as parts of .an electric circuit, for one of them engages the end of a plate 53 which extends from its recess 52 into a main central recess 5l on the under side of the cap section 50. Similarly'the second screw electrically engages a plate 55 extending from its recesses 52 into the main recess 54,

llli

it being noted that it projects on a line sublil@ Each of these terminal plates, in addition to being provided with a binding screwv 56 and an upturned end 57 for confining a wire to the vicinity of said screw, is rigidlyvheld in place by the screw 58 extending intoit :trom a suitable recess in the body of said cap section. This latter has a central opening in which is rigidly mounted the reduced end of a threaded sleeve 59 whose inner end is turned over so that it is permanently held inplace. In this case, as before, the main circuit wires are respectively connected to the terminal plates 8 and 9 of the base section and connection with the plates 53 and is established through the screws 51.

-Branch circuit wires held to said plate 53 and 55 by the binding screws 56, lead therefrom through the sleeve59 to any suitable conduit' threaded therein.

As shown in Figs. 9 and 11, the sleeve 59 may be omitted and the cap section may be employed without any outlet, in which case the central opening would be closed by an easily breakable integral disk, Obviously the Wires of the branch circuit'may be eX- tended through this passage or opening and connected'to the terminal plates 53 and 55 without requiring any sleeve or bushing 59.

While for many purposes the above described forms of cap or cover section are suitable, I find that the preferred form of this part of my invention is that illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14. In this case the body of the cap consists of a porcelainor other insulating casting having in its underface two recesses 60 and 61, provided with segmental ledges or the reception of a pair of segmental terminal plates 62 and 63, simlar in general form to the plates 8 and 9 of the base section. `These plates; are heldagainst these ledges by 'screws 64 mounted in counter-sunk recesses extending through the body 65.and each of them is providedy with a plurality of binding screws 66.

Each of the recesses 60 and 61 has opening into it a plurality of passages 67 for, the admission of the same number of conductors and in addition each of theterminal plates has mounted in it a connecting screw 68 which not only fits into the terminal plates 8 and 9 of the base so as to hold the cap belonging to aplurality of local circuitsv section thereto, but conducts current from its terminal member toone of the terminal plates 62 or 63, (Fig. 15).

Under conditions of use vof that form of cover shown in Figs. 13-15 the conductors may be passed through the openings 67 and have their ends connected to the terminal plates 62 and 63 respectively by the binding screws 66 in the Well understood manner. lVhen therefore the conductors of the main circuit are connected to a pair of the binding screws of the base terminals 8 and 9, the connection to these latter of the screws 68 vsupplies current to the plurality of local circuits connected to the terminal plates 62 and 63. V

In addition a number of other branch circuits, in the present case three, may be brought into theftting through the central opening of the base section and connected to the terminal plates by the bindingscrews 13 without requiring any soldered connections.

It is particularly to be noted that in 4all of the above structures it is possible to quickly and conveniently connect one or any desired number 0f branchcircuits to a main circuit through the terminal plates -8 and 9 and that Without violating the requirements of the Board of Underwriters, since soldered joints are not necessary in view of a provision of a separate binding screw for veach conductor to be connected. Moreover by the construction-shown inl Figs. 13 and 14,

it is possible to extend into thek cover and.. y

conveniently connect to the terminals thereof, a plurality of local branch circuits, again Ywithout the necessity for any soldered joints.

From the above description, it will beJ noted that I have provided a convenient and substantial form of outlet fitting in which.

the base section is'of such design as to permit of the convenlent connection to 1t of a number of forms of cap or cover sections of which certain may in themselves constitute sockets or receptacles for electro-receptive apparatus, while others may be merely provided terminals easily `connected to and detachable from the main terminals of the base section and from which conductors may be extended in some cases through a pipe rigidly connected to said cap sectionsI or merely extendedl from the .fitting in the form bf one or more di'op cords.

Iclaimg- Y- -V 1. The combination in an electrical litting of a ring-shaped base member having oppositely placed ledges and barriers, eX-

tending radially between the adjacent ends of said ledges; segmental terminal plates ,mounted on the ledges of-the base member;

a cover member of insulating material mounted on the base member; two connecting elements carried by the cover memberv in position to respectively engage the terminal plates of the base member and hold the two members lof the fitting together; and terminals on -the cover member electrically connected to the connectingelements thereof. 2. The combination in an 'electrical fitting of a bas Ymember having terminal l plates forthe attachment of main supply conductors; a cover member 'detachably mounted on the base member and consisting of a ,hollow cap of insulating material having a transversefpartition forming two compart-ments; with terminal plates respectively mounted said compartments and each having a plurality of devices for thel cons nectio of conductors, there being a plurality of conductor openings into each of said 5 compartments.

3. The combination in' 'an electrical fittiilg'e of a base member having terminal plates /for the attachment of Supply conductors; a cover member detachably mounted on the 1D base member and consisting. of a hollow cap of insulating material havingV a` transverse partition forming two compartments terminal plates respectively mounted in said com.- partments and each having a plurality of devices for; attachment of conductors; there being a plurality of conductor openings into each ef said compartments; with screws mechanically and electrically connecting the terminal plates of the cover member tothe terminal plates ofthe base member.

ln Witness whereof l aiix my signature.

FRITZ TRESSELT. 

